IIM CAT 2025 Result (OUT) LIVE: MBA admission criteria for IIMs; CAT score weightage, cut-offs

The School of Management at IIT Mandi has started the application process for its MBA in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for the 2026–28 batch. Eligible candidates can apply through the official website at iitmandi.ac.in by January 27, 2026.

Several MBA colleges offer admission to candidates with lower CAT percentiles. Approximate cut-offs for some institutes are as follows:

Candidates who did not achieve a high CAT score can apply to other B-schools through their entrance exams:

Several IITs offer MBA admissions through CAT 2025 scores. Approximate seat intake at these institutes is as follows:

Several MBA colleges and B-schools across India accept CAT 2025 scores for admission. While most institutes consider CAT cut-offs as the primary criterion, some also evaluate academic performance, overall profile, and work experience. Top colleges accepting CAT 2025 include SPJIMR Mumbai, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, Great Lakes Chennai, FORE Delhi, and GIM Goa.

IIM Bangalore has specified category-wise overall and sectional CAT cut-offs for preparing the first shortlist. The institute clarified that actual scores of shortlisted candidates are usually higher than the minimum cut-offs.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow applies sectional cut-offs in all three sections of the Common Admission Test (CAT) for shortlisting candidates to its MBA programme. Candidates are required to meet the minimum percentile in Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), as prescribed for their respective categories. The category-wise sectional cut-offs are given below.

IIM Lucknow CAT 2025 cut-off for MBA admission. (Image: Official Website)

Around 93 non-IIM colleges are offering MBA admissions on the basis of CAT 2025 scores for the admission session 2026-28, the IIM Kozhikode said in an official website. The admission criteria for enrolment to MBA programmes include multiple parameters such as academic performance in Class 10, 12, graduation, sectional cut-off marks in CAT exam, work experience, gender, and academic diversity, and performance in interview.

CAT 2025 admission criteria. (Representational image: Wikimedia Commons)

IMT Ghaziabad’s CAT cutoff is usually expected around 90 percentile. Some sources say it may go up to the 93–96 percentile, but candidates with around 90 percentile can still get calls depending on their academics, work experience, and overall profile.

The ISB Hyderabad keeps lower CAT 2025 cut-offs between 70 to 75 for admission to MBA programmes. 

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 exam is conducted for admission to MBA, PGP, and other management programmes, offered by the Indian Insitutes of Management (IIMs), and various other colleges across the country. The CAT 2025 scores are accepted by over 1,200 colleges nationwide. Besides this, several IIMs admit students on the basis of CAT 2025 scores, along with other factors. IIMs typically give around 30-40% weightage to CAT scores, while Class 10, 12 marks, and professional experience also considered.

The next major exams, XAT 2026 and CMAT 2026, are scheduled to be held on January 4 and January 25, respectively. MBA aspirants should now focus on preparing for these two MBA entrance exams.

CAT 2025 scorecard available at iimcat.ac.in. (Representational image: Freepik)

Candidates who hold dual bachelor’s degrees will be classified in one of the subject categories they specialised in, and are therefore required to submit the details of both degrees.

The one-year MBA programme at IIM Lucknow's Noida campus costs around Rs 26 lakh. The institute will admit candidates based on their GRE, GMAT, GMAT focus edition scores, along with WAT and PI round marks. 

Candidates can use the Careers360 CAT College Predictor tool to check their chances of securing admission to MBA and other management programmes for the 2026–28 academic session. The tool also provides details on courses offered, placement data, fee structure, and related information.

IIM CAT 2025 college predictor. (Image source: Official)

IIM Kozhikode give 35% weightage to CAT 2025 score for admission to MBA programmes. Whereas, several other IIMs colleges including IIM Ahmedabad and Bangalore has given 40% wieghtage to CAT 2025 score and 40% to personal interview (PI) round. While, 5% has been given to Class 10, 12 marks, work and work experience each. 

IIM CAT 2025 scorecard out at iimcat.ac.in. (Representational image: Freepik)

After the CAT exam, prepare for WAT, GD, and PI rounds at shortlisted colleges, apply to other B-schools (XAT, SNAP, CMAT), and keep your documents ready, as selection depends on your score, profile, and interview.

A low CAT percentile doesn’t end your MBA plans. You can still explore other exams like XAT, NMAT, CMAT, or GMAT, apply to B-schools with lower cutoffs based on your profile and academics, opt for profile-based admissions, or take a gap year to improve your chances.

Yes, a 97 percentile in the CAT exam can fetch calls from several IIMs, such as Trichy, Rohtak, Ranchi, Udaipur, and newer ones like Amritsar and Jammu, as well as top B-schools like SPJIMR, FMS, and MDI. However, ABC IIMs usually require 99+ percentile for the general category, and a strong overall profile remains key to conversion.

IIM Kozhikode will follow a two-stage selection process for the PGP 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 carrying a 55% weightage and an 85 percentile cutoff for General category candidates.

Several leading B-schools outside the IIMs also accept CAT scores, such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kharagpur, etc.), IIFT, XLRI, NMIMS, Great Lakes, MICA, and GIM Goa. These institutes require separate applications and have different CAT percentile cutoffs.

Getting into top IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, or Calcutta with a 70 percentile is highly improbable, as their cutoff scores are typically 98-99 percentile or even higher. However, candidates with strong profiles, such as good work experience, excellent academic qualifications, or diversity, may receive calls from newer or baby IIMs, as well as other reputed MBA colleges like FMS or MDI. The qualifying cutoff scores for these institutions are generally lower, ranging from 70 to 85 percentile.

With a 50 percentile in CAT, candidates can consider regional and private MBA colleges such as Christ University (Bengaluru), PSG Institute of Management (Coimbatore), Doon Business School, Amrita School of Business, Acharya B-School, IMS Pune, and Balaji Institute of Modern Management (Pune).

Many good MBA colleges accept around a 60 percentile in the CAT exam, including Amrita School of Business, FLAME University, SSN School of Management, Welingkar, Doon Business School, Christ University, EMPI, and Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS).

Around 12 candidates who appeared for CAT 2025 on November 30 scored a perfect 100 percentile. Swaraj Pal Kesari is among them.

IIM Kozhikode has retained its three-stage admission process for the PGP 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 carrying a 35% weightage and an 85 percentile cutoff for General category candidates.

Read more at: IIM Kozhikode MBA Admission 2026: CAT cut-off stays at 85 percentile; three-stage selection explained

Indian Institute of Management Ranchi is expected to announce the IPMAT cut-off for admission to its integrated BBA–MBA programme for the 2025 academic session. The cut-off will vary by category, with higher qualifying scores required for general category candidates and lower thresholds for reserved categories, as per the institute’s admission policy.

Download CAT 2025 scorecard at iimcat.ac.in. (Image: Official website)

IIM Kozhikode has retained its three-stage admission process for the MBA (PGP) 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 carrying a final weightage of 35 percent. The minimum overall CAT cut-off for general category candidates remains unchanged at 85 percentile, with section-wise qualifying scores mandatory in VARC, DILR, and QA. Shortlisting will proceed through CAT-based screening, academic evaluation, and personal interview rounds.

Read More: IIM Kozhikode MBA Admission 2026: CAT cut-off stays at 85 percentile; three-stage selection explained 

Given below is the weightage given to each component for the final shortlisting of IIM Amritsar

• Personal Interview (PI): 70%
• Work experience: 10%
• Gender diversity: 10%
• Academic diversity: 10%

Candidates seeking admission to leading non-IIM business schools can refer to the expected CAT 2025 cut-offs for shortlisting. The cut-offs vary by institute and are generally higher for top-ranked schools, reflecting the competition for MBA seats outside the IIM system.

The CAT 2025 cut-offs for Indian Institute of Management Mumbai cover Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Ability (QA), and the overall percentile. The cut-offs are specified for candidates in the general, OBC, EWS, SC, ST, and PWD categories. 

CAT 2025 cut-off for MBA admission in IIM Mumbai. (Image: Official Website)

Among the 100 percentile scorers, nine candidates were from non-engineering backgrounds, and three were engineering students. This marks a reversal from last year, when engineering students dominated the top percentile bracket. The 99.98 and 99.99 percentile lists also show a higher representation of non-engineers.

The Common Admission Test (CAT 2025) results have been declared for 2.58 lakh candidates. A total of 12 candidates secured a perfect 100 percentile, while 26 candidates scored 99 percentile. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of toppers, followed by Haryana and Delhi.

CAT cut-off percentiles differ across IIMs and categories. For example, IIM Ahmedabad has set an overall cut-off of 95 percentile for general category candidates, while newer IIMs such as Bodh Gaya, Jammu, and Sambalpur have fixed lower thresholds, with variations across SC, ST, and OBC categories.

IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta have set overall CAT cut-offs between 85 and 95 percentile across categories. Mid-ranked IIMs such as IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Indore have fixed overall cut-offs largely in the 85 to 90 percentile range.

IIM Kozhikode has confirmed that 93 non-IIM institutions will use CAT 2025 scores for admission to postgraduate management programmes in the current admission cycle. These institutes will announce their individual cut-offs and selection criteria separately.

Candidates who did not secure high percentiles in CAT 2025 still have multiple admission pathways available. Several non-IIM institutes accept CAT scores with lower cut-offs, while others offer admission through exams such as XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, SNAP, and NMAT. Selection processes may also consider academic background, work experience, and interview performance, apart from entrance test scores.

Read More: Didn't score well in CAT 2025? MBA colleges accepting lower cut-off percentile than IIMs

IIM admissions are not based on CAT scores alone. Institutes consider multiple parameters, including Class 10, Class 12, and graduation marks, sectional CAT performance, work experience, gender and academic diversity, and performance in PI and GD rounds. CAT cut-offs are used primarily to shortlist candidates for the second stage.

IIT Mandi has invited applications for admission to its MBA in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme for the 2026–28 batch. Candidates can apply through the official website till January 27. Shortlisting will be based on CAT or GMAT scores, academic performance, and work experience, followed by PI and GD scheduled for March 2026. The programme will begin in the last week of July 2026.

Read More: IIT Mandi MBA in Data Science and AI admissions 2026 through CAT scores

The next major exams, XAT 2026 and CMAT 2026, are scheduled to be held on January 4 and January 25, respectively. MBA aspirants should now focus on preparing for these two MBA entrance exams.

ISB Hyderabad’s CAT cutoff for the PGP Young Leaders (YL) programme is usually very high, around 98–99 percentile. However, selection is profile-based, so candidates with strong academics, essays, work experience (if any), and extracurriculars may still get an interview call even with scores of around 85+ percentile.

With an 89 percentile in the CAT exam, candidates have strong chances at several tier-2 B-schools, including:

• FMS BHU
• GIM Goa
• GLIM Chennai
• FORE School of Management, Delhi
• IMT Ghaziabad
• IMI Delhi
• KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai
• LBSIM Delhi
• TAPMI Manipal
• SPJIMR (profile-based selection)

GIM Goa’s CAT cutoff is usually around 88–90 percentile for the General category. It also has an 'Achievers Round' with a lower cutoff, which was around 80 percentile last year.

IMT Ghaziabad’s CAT cutoff is usually expected around 90 percentile. Some sources say it may go up to the 93–96 percentile, but candidates with around 90 percentile can still get calls depending on their academics, work experience, and overall profile.

Christ University’s CAT cutoff for MBA admission is around the 60 percentile and is only used as an eligibility benchmark, not a final selection criterion.

Check the list of toppers in CAT 2025 below.

Among the top CAT scorers are Swaraj Pal Kesari with 100 percentile and Vinayak Agarwal with 99.99 percentile. Deepak M and Anmol Gupta also featured among the toppers with 99.98 and 99.96 percentiles, respectively.

There are more than 21 IIMs, 5 IITs and other various management colleges such as MDI, Gurgaon, SPJIMR, among many, accepting CAT 2025 percentile for admission to its MBA and management courses. Moreover, over 1,200 B-schools will also accept the CAT 2025 score for admission to MBA programmes. 

However, IIMs and other management colleges have their own CAT 2025 cut-offs criteria set for admissions to MBA programmes. 

IIM Ahmedabad and Bangalore, the top 2 management colleges in India, as per the NIRF 2025 rankings, demand between 81 and 83 percentile in CAT 2025 for admission to its MBA programmes.

The selection process for MBA admissions to IIMs is mainly based on CAT cut-offs percentile. However, several IIMs carry out their own selection criteria, constituting performance of Class 10 and 12 board exams. 

Here is the institute-wise selection criteria for MBA admissions. 

The IIM CAT 2025 score between 95-80 percentile is considered good for getting admission in the IIMs. All 22 IIMs will be admitting students for its management programmes on the basis of CAT 2025 scores. Moreover, CAT 2025 score between 85-90 is also considered good for MBA admissions as top NIRF managment ranking institutes admit students with this range of CAT score. 

IIM CAT 2025 result at iimcat.ac.in. (Representational image: Freepik)

The Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM Mumbai) has announced the admission criteria for MBA programmes for the 2026-28 batch. As per the criteria, the management institute has given 60% weightage in the final selection and sectional cut-off will remain the same for all categories in the first shortlisting process. 

Admission to IIM Mumbai will be determined by a wide range of factors, including a candidate’s performance in the Common Admission Test (CAT 2025), previous academic performance, work experience, and scores obtained in personal interview (PI).

IIM Mumbai cut-offs for MBA admissions 2025. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

The ISB Hyderabad keeps lower CAT 2025 cut-offs between 70 to 75 for admission to MBA programmes. 

IIM CAT 2025 results at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: ISB Hyderabad official website) 

The MDI Gurgaon will admit candidates, who have scored around 95 or plus percentile in the IIM CAT 2025. The MBA programme tuition fee at MDI Gurgaon ranges between Rs 24 lakh and 28 lakh.

IIM CAT 2025 results at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: MDI Gurgaon)

Around 93 non-IIM colleges are offering MBA admissions on the basis of CAT 2025 scores for the admission session 2026-28, the IIM Kozhikode said in an official website. The admission criteria for enrolment to MBA programmes include multiple parameters such as academic performance in Class 10, 12, graduation, sectional cut-off marks in CAT exam, work experience, gender, and academic diversity, and performance in interview. 

IIM CAT 2025 result at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Candidates can download the CAT 2025 scorecard through the official website at iimcat.ac.in using login details such as user ID and password. The IIMs across the country will admit candidates on the basis of CAT 2025 score and as per their cut-offs percentile. 

MBA aspirants, aiming for admission to IIMs, must be aware of the difference between a CAT score and percentile. The score is the raw marks which a candidate obtained in each section and overall. Whereas, the percentile denotes the performance of a candidate as compared to other candidates. 

Top IIMs as per NIRF rankings 2025

Here is the top 10 management colleges in India as per the NIRF 2025 rankings. 

There are more than 21 IIMs, 5 IITs and other various management colleges such as MDI, Gurgaon, SPJIMR, among many, accepting CAT 2025 percentile for admission to its MBA and management courses. Moreover, over 1,200 B-schools will also accept the CAT 2025 score for admission to MBA programmes. 

However, IIMs and other management colleges have their own CAT 2025 cut-offs criteria set for admissions to MBA programmes. 

IIM Ahmedabad and Bangalore, the top 2 management colleges in India, as per the NIRF 2025 rankings, demand between 81 and 83 percentile in CAT 2025 for admission to its MBA programmes.
IIM CAT 2025 results at iimcat.ac.in. (Image soruce: Wikimedia Commons)

The sectional cut-offs in CAT 2025 results says that candidates have to obtain minimum percentile in each section of the CAT 2025 question paper to be eligible for admission at various IIMs across the country.
The three sections in IIM CAT 2025 question paper included Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). 

CAT 2025 results at iimcat.ac.in; exam held on November 30. (Images source: Official)

Around 12 candidates, who appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, held on November 30 in three shifts, have aced the MBA college entrance test by scoring a perfect 100 percentile. Last year, 14 candidates were able to obtain full marks. 

CAT 2025 results out; 12 toppers. (Representational image: Freepik)

The login details to download the IIM CAT 2025 scorecard includes User ID and Password. The IIM CAT 2025 scorecard and result have been publish on the official website at iimcat.ac.in. 

CAT 2025 scorecard at iimcat.ac.in; login details. (Image source: Official website)

Candidates can download the CAT 2025 scorecard by following the steps given below.

• Visit the official CAT website: iimcat.ac.in.
• Log in using your user ID and password.
• Click on the ‘Download Scorecard’ link.
• Check the details on the scorecard for accuracy.
• Download and save a copy for future reference.
• Print a hard copy, as it will be required for MBA admissions and selection rounds.

Candidates can download their CAT 2025 scorecard through the official website at iimcat.ac.in. The CAT 2025 scorecard will appear as given below.
CAT 2025: IIM MBA scorecard out at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: Official)

Candidates can now download the IIM CAT 2025 scorecard through the official website at iimcat.ac.in using the login credentials such as user ID and password.
IIMCAT 2025 scorecard at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: Official website)

The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode) has declared the Common Admission Test 2025 (CAT 2025) results for MBA and management admission today at iimcat.ac.in. 

"Candidates can then download their official CAT 2025 scorecards by logging into the CAT 2025 website (https://iimcat.ac.in), using the CAT application login ID and password," according to the official notification.

Candidates awaiting their CAT 2025 scores will be able to download the scorecard through the official website at iimcat.ac.in today at 6 pm. Meanwhile, they can also calculate their probable percentile using Careers360's percentile predictor. 

CAT 2025 results soon at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: Official)

The Indian Institute of Managemente Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode) will declare the Common Admission Test 2025 (CAT 2025) results today at 6 pm on its official website at iimcat.ac.in. Candidates will be able to access the CAT 2025 result using their login credentials such as User ID and password. 

IIM CAT 2025 login details. (Image source: Official website)

Yes, the Common Admission Test 2025 (CAT 2025) scorecard will be available today for download at 6 pm. Candidates who appeared for the computer-based test, held in several shifts, will be able to download the CAT 2025 scorecard through the official website at iimcat.ac.in.

IIM CAT 2025 results today. (Image source: Official website)